The Facts Behind "1 in 6"

The theme of the campaign is "1" in 6". The reason behind this is to emphasize how widespread stroke is. Not many people are aware of this fact. One in six people in the world will suffer a stroke in their lifetime; on this page, you will find the data and references behind that statistic and others.

Participants (n=4897) who were stroke- and dementia-free at 55 years of age were followed biennially for up to 51 years. ... A total of 875 participants (522 women) developed a first-ever stroke; 749 (448 women) had an ischemic stroke. LTR of stroke was high and remained similar at ages 55, 65, and 75 years, approximating 1 in 5 for women and 1 in 6 for men. Participants with a normal BP (<120/80 mm Hg) had approximately half the LTR of stroke compared with those with high BP (≥140/90 mm Hg)

We observed that the LTR of stroke for middle-aged and "young-old" adults (55 to 75 years of age) was substantial at 1 in 6 or higher. This risk was higher in women (1 in 5) compared with men, largely because of the greater life expectancy in women, which increased their period at risk.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in most countries, and is one of the leading causes of long-term disability. Women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke than men (1 in 5 vs 1 in 6), a statistic that is influenced in part by the longer life expectancy in women. The female population not only carries a higher burden of stroke during their lifespan - women also account for the majority of stroke deaths.

Every two seconds, someone in the world suffers a strokeEvery six seconds, someone dies of a strokeEvery six seconds, someone's quality of life will forever be changed – they will permanently be physically disabled due to stroke